
The Alexandria Papers Newsletter #67 | Dr. Alexandria Szeman 12 February 2023
The stress secret: 12 ways to meditate – without actually meditating | The Guardian
Meditation isn’t for everyone. Or at least not when life has taken you so far from calm that your brain is soup. “It’s the nature of the mind to have this ongoing conversation in the background,” says Joy Rains, a mindfulness practitioner and author of Meditation Illuminated: Simple Ways to Manage…
Morning Migraine Again? How to Wake Up Pain-Free | Migraine Again
One of the most common migraine patterns many of us experience is going to bed feeling fine then waking up with debilitating headache pain.
Learning About Long COVID From Other “Invisible” Illnesses | Psychology Today
People diagnosed with ME/CFS must manage extreme fatigue, and their experiences have implications for those with long COVID. A challenge of managing an illness like ME/CFS is its invisibility to others, despite its severe impact on a person’s ability to function. Ensuring people feel believed is…
Self-Care for Trauma Survivors Dealing With Noisy Newsfeeds | Psychology Today
Sexual abuse fills our daily newsfeeds. Just this month alone, there is sexual assault news from the Boy Scouts, Catholic Church, US Hockey, Hollywood, and the White House. How can victims and survivors heal effectively while being constantly triggered as the stories, lawsuits, and judicial systems…
Do you need help dealing with
sexual assault,
rape, or incest? Call
@RAINN ‘s Hotline 800.656.HOPE (4673) to talk to a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area. Don’t feel comfortable talking? Use chat/text instead.
4 Questions That Can Reveal Your Psychological Needs | Psychology Today
Self-reflection can help you better get to know your psychological needs and how these are being met or not met. Try these question prompts for learning insights into yourself. The best compliment I received this year was when I was telling my doctor about breastfeeding struggles with my newborn.
How Chaucer’s medieval Wife of Bath was tamed and then liberated in the 21st century | The Conversation
Chaucer’s Wife of Bath is one of the most famous characters in English literature. Since appearing in the Canterbury tales in 1387, her tale has been rewritten and adapted by authors from the French philosopher Voltaire in the 18th century to the contemporary author Zadie Smith in 2021.
The rise: a history of American biscuits | King Arthur Baking
Flaky, fluffy, buttermilk or baking powder, biscuits are as old (and as complicated) as the country itself. Trace their history and their evolution across centuries.
The Lies Our Parents Tell Us (a poem)
The Lies Our Parents Tell Us begin in childhood: you’re not dumb, you were not an accident, the sight of you doesn’t make us sick, we don’t think you’re ugly, and we swallow the lies, with open hands and grateful hearts, because we’re so hungry, because the lies are all we have.
Books by Alexandria Constantinova Szeman
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Filed under #CSA, Baking, Books, Childhood Sexual Abuse, Chronic Illness, chronic pain, Cooking, health, Health and Wellness, hemiplegic migraines, Meditation and MIndfulness, Mental Health, migraine, Migraine with Aura, Migraine Without Aura, migraines, PTSD
Tagged as biscuits, chaucer's wife of bath, chronic illness, history of biscuits in America, long COVID, meditation, mental health, migraine, mindfulness, rainn, rainn online hotline, self-care, survivors, trauma survivors, walking, Wife of Bath

Meditation Could Be as Effective for Anxiety as Medication, Study Says | Psychology Today
Anxiety is the most common mental health challenge in the U.S., with 34% of the population affected by an anxiety disorder during their lifetime. A new scientific study is the first to directly compare meditation/mindfulness to medication for the treatment of anxiety.
Maximize Headache Relief From Home With Drug-free, Natural Treatments | Migraine Again
Although medication is an important part of any migraine or headache rescue kit, there are a number of things you can do to relieve headache pain at home. When it comes to self-care, there is no shortage of natural remedies and at-home antidotes. Here’s our guide to the top home remedies to treat…
How to Heal from Childhood Trauma: 3 Steps to Start Coping | Better Up
Physical or sexual abuse This kind of trauma can cause not only physical damage to the child but also psychological damage that can last for years after it happened. Physical abuse includes any kind of physical violence against a child. It’s sometimes masked as a “discipline measure” by many adults.
RAINN Online Hotline
Your privacy and safety are crucial. Please make sure you are in a safe place and that you are using a secure device and Internet connection. Please note that while we have taken numerous measures to keep your communications safe while using our site, no Internet transmission is 100% secure.
The Science of Wanting: How We Unhook from Dopamine | Mindful
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain that helps motivate us to fulfill our basic needs, but in our modern age of plenty, it can also lead to overindulgence and addiction. So how can we find balance and contentment in an age of instant gratification? Anna Lembke’s gateway drug was Twilight,…
Happy Public Domain Day! Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse Is Copyright Free | Hyperallergic
January 1 is the annual Public Domain Day, meaning a large collection of historically significant literature, films, artwork, and photojournalism is now totally accessible for public use. The Public Domain Review has created a special advent calendar countdown spotlighting their top picks in…
17 Best Food Blogs to Sate your Hunger in 2023 | Influencer Marketing Hub
How did we ever manage to cook before the arrival of the internet? I suppose we had to rely on cookbooks, cooking tv shows, and knowledge handed down from our grandmothers. Of course, the more daring would experiment in the kitchen, remembering the successes, and mercifully forgetting any culinary…
My Childhood on Planet of the Apes (Memoir)
The most important rule in our world was that no one had to be human two days in a row. It was only fair.
Books by Alexandria Constantinova Szeman
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Filed under #CSA, Baking, Books, Cooking, Free Classics in the Public Domain, Meditation and MIndfulness, Mental Health, migraine, migraine self-care, Migraine Treatment, Migraine with Aura, Migraine Without Aura, migraines, Newsletters, PTSD, Public Domain Classics, The Alexandria Papers Newsletter
Tagged as anxiety, backing, best cooking blogs, best food blogs, cooking, cptsd, dopamine, how to heal from childhood trauma, meditation, migraine, migraine natural treatments, mindfulness PTSD, public domain domain, rainn online hotline
The Alexandria Papers Newsletter #64 | Dr. Alexandria Szeman 15 January 2023
How to Use Mindfulness for PTSD | VeryWell
Using mindfulness for PTSD may be a good way of coping. Mindfulness has been around for ages. However, mental health professionals are beginning to recognize that mindfulness can have many benefits for people suffering from difficulties such as anxiety and depression.
Guide Me: How Can I Prevent the Next Migraine Attack? | Migraine Again
It’s easier to prevent a migraine attack than treat one. Discover evidence-based strategies for prevention, including natural and alternative remedies.
5 New Year’s Resolutions for Trauma Survivors | Psychology Today
Trauma survivors struggle to take care of their mental health as much as their physical health, but this should be prioritized in the new year. Unmet needs in childhood often manifest in adulthood, leading to unhealthy behavior patterns-but 2023 can be the year to start unpacking.
RAINN Online Hotline
Do you need help dealing with sexual assault, rape, or incest? Call @RAINN ‘s Hotline 800.656.HOPE (4673) to talk to a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area. Don’t feel comfortable talking? Use chat/text instead.
How to spot an eating disorder | Psyche
When you are close to someone – a family member, a romantic partner, a longtime friend – you are likely to be fairly attuned to subtle changes in behaviour that could signal a shift in that person’s wellbeing. For many people, these changes are connected to eating.
How to Start a Self-Care Journal | Read Poetry
If you’re a writer, chances are you have a stack of journals tucked away in the back of your closet, likely filled with memories, heartbreaks, and musings. Many of us as a means of self-care to process thoughts, feelings, and experiences. But have you ever created a journal solely for self-care?
Awards: Best Memoirs of 2022 | SheReads
Every year thousands of our readers vote for their favorite books of the year in the She Reads Awards. Find out more about the books that were nominated and see which book was voted the Best Memoir of 2022. The winner of the Best Memoir of 2022 is . .
30 Easy Bread Recipes for Beginner Bakers | Taste of Home
Baking bread is more popular (and easier) than ever! If you’re new to it, don’t be intimidated. Consider these easy bread recipes and become the baker you always knew you could be! Be sure to check out our ultimate bread baking guide, too.
While the Music Lasts: Poem to My Younger Self
Each night, standing in the hallway at the open / door of the bedroom, I see you lying in the / fading light, his arms around you, your head on his / chest, his lips against your hair, and I want to tell / you everything.
Books by Alexandria Constantinova Szeman
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Tagged as books, bread baking, bread baking for beginners, chronic migraine, cptsd, eating disorders, journal writing, journaling, memoirs, migraine, migraine again, migraine prevention, migraine self-care, mindfulness, New Year's Resolutions, new year's resolutions for trauma survivors, poem, poetry, psyche.co, Psychology Today, PTSD, rainn, rainn online hotline, self-care, self-care journal, survivors, taste of home, trauma survivors, very well, while the music lasts: poem to my younger self

The Alexandria Papers Newsletter #63 | Dr. Alexandria Szeman 8 January 2023
My little Saschie. She doesn’t want me to take down the Christmas lights.
A Journaling Practice to Help You Let Go of Limiting Habits | Mindful
Instead of judging yourself for what you want or what you’re feeling, explore these writing prompts to help you turn toward your experience with greater understanding and self-compassion. Encountering the people, places, and things that activate us out in the real world can feel like too much…
Relief from Chronic Migraine: Medications and Other Treatments
Chronic migraine is defined as a migraine headache that occurs 15 or more days a month, for at least three months. Episodes often last four hours or more. Finding relief from chronic migraine symptoms can be difficult. Explore multiple treatment options here.
New longitudinal research highlights how grave the effects of childhood trauma can be for anxiety and depression | Psychology Post
Childhood trauma is well-known to have adverse effects on mental health into adulthood, but the nuances of these outcomes are not well understood. A study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders explores how childhood trauma impacts specific aspects of depression and anxiety over time. …
RAINN Online Hotline
Do you need help dealing with sexual assault, rape, or incest? Call @RAINN ‘s Hotline 800.656.HOPE (4673) to talk to a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area. Don’t feel comfortable talking? Use chat/text instead.
How to Use Journaling to Cope With PTSD | VeryWellMind
Some psychotherapists are now recommending journaling, also called expressive writing, to help people cope with the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If you have PTSD, here’s how journaling can help, as well as how to do it. Journaling is one method of helping people cope…
Minimalism and Hygge: How to Make Your Home Cosy Without Adding Clutter | BalanceThroughSimplicity
Here are some ideas on minimalism and Hygge and how to embrace both whilst enjoying a simpler lifestyle. I’m sharing some tips on how to make your home cosy without adding clutter so you can enjoy feeling warm and safe at home and still stay clutter-free! Autumn is my favourite season.
The best of 2022: the new books I’ve loved this year | TolstoyTherapy
This website started out as a celebration of my love for classic literature. Tolstoy is even in the name! But that said, over the last decade, Tolstoy Therapy has evolved around…
16 Bread Baking Tips Your Grandma Forgot To Tell You | Joybilee Farm
Use these bread baking tips from Grandma and learn how to bake better bread with the perfect rise, chewy, golden crusts, and pillowy soft crumb.
Portrait of the Poet as a Woman
Your second wife calls to say that the children get ill after you bring them home Sunday night it must be something they eat what do I feed them something dreadful? She calls collect when she’s away. If I ask who’s calling she says, This is his wife.
Books by Alexandria Constantinova Szeman
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Filed under #CSA, Books, Cats, chronic pain, Chronic Pain Treatment, hemiplegic migraines, Meditation and MIndfulness, Mental Health, migraine, migraine self-care, Migraine Treatment, Migraine with Aura, Migraine Without Aura, migraines, Newsletters, PTSD, Sexual Abuse, Sexual Violence, The Alexandria Papers Newsletter, Trauma
Tagged as anxiety, baking, baking bread, chronic migraine, depression, journal writing, journaling, migraine, mindfulness, minimalism, poem, poetry, rainn, rainn online hotline

The Alexandria Papers Newsletter #62 | Dr. Alexandria Szeman 1 January 2023
Want to Eat Mindfully? Here are the BASICS | Mindful
Looking to bring mindfulness to the dinner table? Lynn Rossy shares six steps to prime your mind for savoring your next bite-whether it’s chicken nuggets or kale. BASICS is an acronym for a complete set of guidelines that walks you through the mindful eating process from beginning to end.
Migraines: Steps to head off the pain | Mayo Clinic
Migraines cause pain as real as the pain of injuries – with one difference: Healthy habits and simple remedies sometimes stop migraines before they start. By Mayo Clinic Staff Medicine is a proven way to both treat and prevent migraines. But medicine is only part of the story.
Being ‘Miss Independent’ May Not Be As Healthy As You Think | Shape
There’s a lot of cultural celebration around the concept of independence, particularly in the United States. People who can take care of themselves receive praise, and the terms “self-made” and “single-handedly” are markers of true, hard-won success.
Do you need help dealing with
sexual assault,
rape, or incest? Call
@RAINN ‘s Hotline 800.656.HOPE (4673) to talk to a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area. Don’t feel comfortable talking? Use chat/text instead.
7 Daily Habits That’ll Improve Your Mental Health in 2023 | CNET
Making goals for the new year is a ritual we all take part in right after the holidays pass. Maybe this year you’ve made a resolution to get out of debt or devote more time and energy to eating better.
Keeping on with the Reading Trend | Sixty and Me
Since reading is a great pastime for women our age – and for anyone, really – here’s another list that I was able to complete and review. Continuing my search for funny women authors over 50, I stumbled across Jenny by researching her agent for a client of mine.
No Knead Fig and Walnut Bread | Mangia Bedda
This easy no knead fig and walnut bread is fragrant with cinnamon and lightly sweetened with honey. All is you have to do is stir all the ingredients together and forget about it for 6-24 hours. Enjoy slathered with butter or cream cheese for breakfast, as a snack or any time of day!
26 Seriously Useful Baking Tips You’ll Wish You Knew About Sooner | Tasty
To help make your bakes the absolute best.
Holiday (a poem)
“Day followed day, and this and that Seemed to be happening As always, but through it all Already loneliness was seeping.”
Books by Alexandria Constantinova Szeman
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Filed under #CSA, Baking, Books, chronic pain, Chronic Pain Treatment, Cooking, Health and Wellness, hemiplegic migraines, Mental Health, migraine, migraine self-care, Migraine Treatment, Migraine with Aura, Migraine Without Aura, migraines, Newsletters, Trauma
Tagged as baking, baking tips, books, Childhood Sexual abuse, cooking, cooking tips, healing, mental health, migraine, migraines, mindfulness, poem, poetry, trauma